Goo's Notes- This is the edited version of the fic originally
released as "Ougi" on Fanfiction.Net. Renamed
"Heart's Fašade" by Kendra, Digimon Empress it
originally followed the fic "Life of Shindou Shuichi: A
Retrospective in Song" but now stands alone. (The only
details from that fic you need to know is Touma and Mika broke
up, Shuichi lost his arm after being hit by a car, Ryuuichi and K
started going out, and Suguru and Hiro also coupled. It was also
explained Ayaka's father forbid her from marrying Hiro so she
married someone else. If you are interested in that fic go to http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=12150.
This version has been revised for spelling and grammar.

Disclaimer- I don't own the Gravitation characters, nor do I
want to. They're fun to borrow, but I own plenty of my own to
play with. (And trust me: just because you own the characters
doesn't mean they magically come to life for you to play with
except in writing, so the joys of copyright ownership are highly
overrated.) I DO kinda sorta own Amai and Tokui. (Actually, I
think I own them all the way, but because of their parentage and
the fact they are supposed to be who Mika was pregnant with at
the end of the series, I give the copyright holders of
Gravitation partial credit for them.) If you want to use them for
any reason (or one, the other, or both's name should this spark
off a trend of people writing about Mika and Touma's kid(s)) then
feel free to ask in my review section or, for a quicker response,
e-mail me. I also own Chen Quon Yue and all other OCs.

Notes on Japanese- Besides the title, I only use three
Japanese words: Kaasan (mom), Tousan (dad), and ojisan (uncle). I
use these in my normal writing, not just my fics, which is why I
am using them here. The rest of the Japanese I use (sparingly)
are things you should know. If you don't, look them up or, better
yet, re-watch your subbed Gravitation episodes as they say those
things often. Besides, it's not like I'm using Japanese words no
one knows at random or writing entire sentances and paragraphs in
poor Japanese like some people. (You know who you are,
so I won't name any names.)

Heart's Fašade

Chapter One: Hot and Cold

Written by A Girl Named Goo

"Please?"

"No!"

"Pretty please?"

"No!"

"Pretty pretty please?"

"For the last time, no! You still haven't repaid me for
the last time! Or the time before that, or the time before
that!" Seguchi Amai said firmly, the tone of her voice
suggesting the topic was not up for debate. She raked a hand
through her short, feathery platinum blonde hair and continued
reading her book, knowing if she looked up she'd end up caving
in.

"But it's just this one last time," Seguchi Tokui
begged his twin sister, large golden-hazel eyes brimming with
tears.

"That's what you said the last time! And the time before
that! And the time before that!" Amai argued, though against
her better judgement she tore her dark green eyes from her book
and looked at Tokui. And immediately she knew she was lost. One
look at her slight, sickly brother, and she couldn't help but
give in to his every desire, strange as many of them were.

Amai removed her reading glasses and sighed, putting a
bookmark in her book and putting it on her beside table.
"All right. Fine. Just this once. But dammit, I hate it when
you look so adorable..."

A faint smile tinged Tokui's pale pink lips as he expressed
his gratitude. 'Thank you so much, Amai. You don't know how much
this means to me. I'll make it up to you, I swear..."

"Maybe if you told me what it is you do when you run away
after I distract Kaasan I'd be more happy to help," Amai
pointed out.

"Someday soon. I promise," Tokui reassured her. He'd
been telling her the same thing for close to four years now.

Amai stood up, smoothing her white blouse and making sure she
looked presentable to confront her mother. Though usually
cheerful and carefree, when Amai wanted to she could be every bit
as forboding as her father, and was a formidable opponent when
drawn into an arguement. The only person who could move Amai, who
was usually so stubborn, was her brother.

And not only could Amai act like Seguchi Touma if she wanted
to, but she looked so much like him that it was eerie. Many
people said they'd never noticed how feminine NG's president was
before they saw him stand next to his sixteen year old daughter,
who had the same delicate features, the same neat platinum blonde
hair, the same large and deceptively innocent deep green eyes,
and even the same mannerisms as her father.

Tokui, on the other hand, looked nothing like his twin sister,
or even his parents. Instead, everyone told him he resembled what
his uncle had looked like at his age, only thinner and paler as
childhood illness had left him as frail and delicate as he
appeared. (Another thing that made him different from his father
and sister, as both looked fragile but both were very strong and
occasionally intimidating people.) His short hair was brilliant
gold, and his eyes were the most unusual golden color, something
that set him apart. And like his uncle, he felt this unique look
was a curse rather than a blessing. But he was happy to be
compared to the man, as he had idolized him almost his entire
life.

But the phsyical attributes were where the similarities
between Seguchi Tokui and his uncle, Yuki Eiri, ended, as Tokui
had a personality all his own. He was a very quiet, shy, and
timid boy, easilly intimidated by his elders. He was also very
secretive, more secretive then he had to be. Even little details
about him, like his favorite color (blue), his favorite food
(vanilla Pocky), or his date of birth (August 23) were like
closely guarded secrets to the boy, and many of them not even his
sister knew. He was also known to disappear to places unknown for
hours at a time, and the mere fact he was leaving had be kept
confidential.

If people were to look at them, no one would even think they
were siblings, let alone twins, as they were so different in
their personalities and their appearences. They even had
different birthdates (Amai was born on August 22 at 11:57 PM and
Tokui was born on August 23 at 12:04 AM) and were born under
different astrological signs (Amai was a Leo and Tokui was a
Virgo).

Amai put her hand on the gold-toned doorknob to her bedroom
door. Her bedroom was very large and had a botanical theme, with
mint green walls, a dark green plush carpet, and a green vine
border across the top of the walls and surrounding the door. Her
bed was queen sized and had a satin bedspread with a jungle of
hunter green leaves covering it, and her bedside table and
bookcase were both white but painted with the same green leaves
as the border of her room. She also had a large TV, a rather
extensive collection of DVDs, and a stereo with at least a
hundred CDs. The centerpiece of her room, however, was the large
picture window with it's green plush seating and plants hanging
above it that overlooked the house's huge backyard.

Another difference between the twins was that while Amai's
room was large, friendly, and colorful, Tokui's room was what
Amai liked to call "the closet". Saying it was a closet
was grossly innacurate, however, as it was actually a converted
laundry room, downstairs on the main floor and tucked as far back
from the rest of the house as possible. Tokui, being obsessive
about his privacy, had turned down all of the four other bedrooms
upstairs and insisted on this room, causing the laundry room to
be relocated to the basement. His room was painted gray-blue,
there was no carpet, and only a single dark blue throwrug over
the cement floor. His bed was twin sized, and only had a simple
light blue blanket. He also had a bookshelf, mostly covered with
his uncle's books, and his only lights were a naked bulb hanging
above the bed, a candle on the crate he used as a bedside table,
and a flashlight that, along with his numerous medication bottles
and two inhalers, he always had with him. But the most forboding
thing about this room were the four locks on the door, two of
which could also be locked from the outside and could only be
unlocked with the keys Tokui always carried with him.

Though neither Touma nor Mika could explain their son's
Spartan lifestyle, they also couldn't say they were too terribly
surprised he would choose a small, dark, enclosed space over a
larger, warmer, brighter one. After all, in the past he had been
discovered in closets, pantries, vacant studios, or, failing to
find such a space, dark corners. And he always had a book and his
flashlight.

"I'll go down first. Give me five minutes. I'll have her
moved into the kitchen and talking, so you should be able to
sneak out the front door before anyone notices," Amai
instructed, though it was unneccesary. Tokui had been through
this drill many times before.

Amai opened the door and closed it, and Tokui lifted his right
wrist, pushed up the sleeve of his very baggy black sweater, and
looked at his watch to count down. (Another little known fact
about Tokui, as he kept his watch hidden and never wrote anything
if people were watching: he was left handed, one of the few
traits besides his looks he had inherited from his uncle)
Satisfied that five minutes were up, he began to slink silently
down the stairs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tokui left his bicycle chained to a streetlight in front of a
convenience store and took his inhaler out of the blue satchel he
always carried, taking in two deep puffs and placing it back into
the bag. He was still panting, and a few people were staring at
him, but this was nothing new to him as he continued, on foot,
for the last 15 minutes of his journey. (He always parked his
bicycle between fifteen and twenty minutes walking distance from
his final destination.)

He finally arrived at his destination and, still panting and
wheezing (prompting him to take two more puffs from both of his
inhalers) after scaling the stairs (elevators were too crowded
and public and besides that, Tokui had a horrible phobia of
them), finally forced himself to give the door he stood before
two light taps, though he had a key. (He had six keys on the
necklace he always wore around his neck but hid under his shirt:
two for his bedroom, one to his mother's house, one to his
father's house, one to his bicycle lock, and one to this
apartment.)

It didn't take long for the door to open. Standing on the
other side was a man, who, despite being well into his thirties
by now, still looked as youthful and vibrant as ever, with his
slightly-messy bright pink hair and glittering violet eyes,
wearing nothing but a pair of blue shorts and a black tank-top,
towel draped around his shoulders and pink toothbrush hanging
from his mouth, obviously just getting ready to start the day
though it was three in the afternoon.

He removed the toothbrush from his mouth as he looked over the
visitor. "Tokui, you have a key. You don't have to knock,
you know..." Shuichi said at last, before taking the boy
into a friendly, one-armed embrace. "Now get in here and sit
down. You look like you're going to faint."

Tokui nodded and obeyed, sitting on the couch in the large but
sparsely decorated living room, as he had thousands of times
before. He could rest assured that no matter what changed in the
outside world, time could never touch this apartment or anyone
inhabiting it. His uncle had changed very little appearence-wise
in sixteen years (except for the barely noticeable touches of
gray in his hair) and his uncle's lover hadn't changed at all,
remaining the same one-armed, pink-haired, energetic man Tokui
had always known him as.

"Yuki!" Shuichi shouted, disappearing into the
hallway.

"Not now, Shuichi," came the almost growling reply.

"It's important!"

"It can wait."

"Tokui's here."

Those words seemed to touch something off in the other man,
for when Shuichi returned (and headed straight for the kitchen)
Yuki wasn't very far behind him.

Yuki looked the boy up and down. He was sitting on the corner
of the couch furthest away from him, eyes pointed at his lap,
where his hands were folded and almost invisable beneath his
sweater sleeves. Yuki just sighed and sat on the opposite end of
the couch. Years ago he would have lit a cigarette after sitting
down, but after about three tries he'd kicked the habit
completely about 12 years ago.

"Your mother know you're here?" Yuki asked.

Tokui shook his head.

"Your father?"

Another negative.

"Your sister, at the very least?"

Tokui shook his head a last time, his eyes starting to fill
with tears again as he sensed he was in trouble.

Yuki sighed deeply. "For one thing, you have to tell someone
where you're going. If not your parents or sister, at least call
and tell us you're on your way so if something happens someone
knows you're missing."

Tokui nodded.

Yuki continued. "And for another thing, try to find some
other way of getting here. Call a cab, take a bus, use one of
your father's drivers, anything. It takes you two hours to ride
here on your bicycle, and you always leave it
God-only-knows-where and walk the rest of the way here. You know
you have asthma and chronic bronchitis, as well as weak joints.
The doctor has told you a thousand times not to overexert
yourself. When you come here you can't even breathe and your
joints hurt so badly you can't move. And then you insist
on riding you bicycle back home. One of these days you'll kill
yourself that way. If I have to, I'll tell your mother to have
someone guard you at all times and make sure you don't pull any
stunts like these. Got it?"

A few tears slid down Tokui's cheeks as he swallowed and
nodded. Shuichi entered the living room again, putting down a
tray with three cups of tea on the coffee table and sitting next
to the boy, taking him into another embrace.

"Yuki, you made him cry!" Shuichi scolded.
"He's heard all that before. You should be flattered that he
loves you enough to put himself in so much pain to get
here."

"I am flattered, but I'm also worried!" Yuki argued.
"He needs to learn that adults tell him things for a reason,
and if he's going to comprimise his health and possibly his life
by coming here, then if he wants to continue coming here he needs
to have someone give him a ride. He knows he's always welcome
here, whether we're here or not, but he shouldn't have to kill
himself to get here!"

Shuichi took his arm from around Tokui and picked up a cup of
tea. "Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better."

Tokui hesitantly took the cup, and took a few small sips.
"G-Gomen nasai, Eiri-ojisan," he said at last.
"And arigatou, Sh-Shindou-san."

It was Shuichi's turn to sigh in exhasperation. "Tokui,
you've known me all your life. I was just upstairs from you when
you were born. I saw you when you were four days old. I was the
fourth person to ever hold you, after the doctor, your father and
your uncle. Call me Shuichi. Or better yet, call me
Shuichi-ojisan, since I've been with your uncle long
enough."

"Gomen nasai, Shindou-san."

Shuichi sighed and Yuki put his forehead in his hand and
sighed, shaking his head. Tokui just sipped some more tea before
placing his cup back on the tray.

"Tokui, are you planning on staying for dinner?"
Shuichi asked. The boy only shrugged slightly, still staring at
his feet.

"Shuichi, make enough for him. Tokui, lay down on the
couch and take a nap. Shuichi and I have something we need to do
in the office. It shouldn't take longer than a couple of
minutes," Yuki instructed, standing and stretching. Shuichi
looked confused, but he stood up and followed the blonde man into
the office. He was surprised when Yuki shut the door behind them.

Yuki sighed and sat down in his desk chair. "I think I'm
going to have to call his father."

Shuichi walked over to the desk, leaning on the phone before
Yuki could try to pick it up. "No! You can't do that!"
Shuichi cried. "We're probably the only people he trusts! We
can't betray him like that!"

"We can't let him kill himself, either!" Yuki
argued. "Shuichi, Tokui is sick! Not just physically,
either! And if I don't call Touma and tell him then Tokui is
going to end up dead, and I know I don't want that!"

"We've tried talking to Seguchi-san before! And Mika-san,
too!" Shuichi pointed out. "All Mika-san does is get
tougher on him, and all Seguchi-san does is coddle him! They
aren't helping! The least we can do is give him someplace where
he can feel safe and comfortable!"

"Funny to hear you talking about coddling him, since all
you ever do is wait on him hand and foot!" Yuki pointed out.

"That's not what I meant!" Shuichi cried out. He
took his hand off the phone and looked down at the floor.
"Yuki, first, let's stop fighting before one of us says
something we'll regret later."

"Fine," Yuki said with a nod. He reached over to
pick up the phone, but Shuichi once again leaned on it.

"And secondly, calling his parents will get him no where
and will get us out of his good graces. I agree that we have to
do something, but not that," Shuichi said pointedly. It was
uncharacteristically mature for him, but, as Yuki had discovered
long ago, the other man did have his moments...

"After that, I'm out of ideas," Yuki muttered,
spinning around to face his computer screen. "Short of
having him commited, anyway, but that wouldn't help matters,
either."

Shuichi sat down in the chair he had placed next to Yuki's
desk chair years ago. "No, that wouldn't. But if he keeps
coming here, then it sounds like he just wants to be closer to
people he trusts. Maybe if we can have him move in with someone
he trusts completely he won't keep running away and hurting
himself."

Yuki leaned back in his chair. "But where? He can't stay
here. I mean, I love Tokui. He's my nephew, and I watched him
grow up. I'm more of a father to him than Touma is. And his
invitation to come here is twenty-four hours a day. But I can't
take care of him full time. He needs constant medical care, he
needs to see a psychiatrist, and he won't eat or sleep unless he
is ordered to."

Shuichi tried not to flinch when Yuki said that he loved his
nephew. He knew that it wasn't in a romantic sense, but the fact
he could say it so easily about Tokui but, even after almost
seventeen years and a near-death encounter, still couldn't say it
to him except for once in a blue moon (and usually in his sleep)
still stung him. Shuichi had told Yuki years ago that he
understood what they had had extended beyond the need to reassure
themselves with the "l" word, and that if Yuki didn't
want to say it then he never had to and Shuichi would understand,
but sometimes he just wished to hear it, even if it was just for
comformation that they really had what he thought they had.

"Well, where else does he go when he runs away?"
Shuichi asked at last, leaning on his only arm on the table.

"The NG building. People are always finding him in
closets, empty studios, unused offices, and even dark corners of
otherwise occupied rooms. Touma actually gives whoever finds him
and sends him to his office a substantial cash reward," Yuki
explained. "But he can't live there, obviously. And since he
doesn't go there to be near his father, having him live with
Touma full time is out of the question."

"Then I guess we're stuck," Shuichi said softly,
leaning against Yuki. "I want to help him, but I don't know
how."

Yuki sighed. "I don't, either. All I know is that right
now he's supposed to be out in the living room waiting for us to
finish doing whatever important errand we were supposed to be
doing."

"500 yen says he's not in the living room when we walk
out there," Shuichi said challengingly, standing up.

"Please, that's practically a given. Leave him alone for
more than five seconds and he disappears."

They walked out of the office and into the living room. Sure
enough, the boy was gone. Yuki just sighed and sat on the couch
as Shuichi went into the kitchen to finish their evening meal.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It only took Tokui another ten minutes on his bicycle to reach
the towering NG Records Headquarters, his father's record
industry empire. Of course, he left his bicycle chained to a sign
and obscured by bushes and, though he could have just walked in
whenever he pleased, he managed to slip in through an open window
that lead to an empty rehearsal room and from there, after
looking around the halls to make sure no one was looking, began
to dart toward the stairwell.

"Not so fast!" a familiar voice that froze him in
his tracks called out.

Tokui pressed himself against the wall and looked at his
sister, who, though smiling and standing in a semi-relaxed pose,
had a look that demanded to know where he had been and how long
he'd been there.

"I left that window open on purpose," Amai told him.
"I knew you'd come in through that way. All I had to do was
hide in the rehearsal room accross the hall and wait for you to
take the bait. Fortunately, I'm a patient person." She
approached him, taking his sachel and removing his inhaler,
handing it to him. "Take this. You're weezing."

Tokui gratefully took the medicine and breathed in two deep
puffs, finally managing to breathe normally. "You're not
going to tell Tousan, are you?" he asked nervously.

Amai shook her head as she opened her brother's sachel and
began to look through his belongings. "Wouldn't dream of
it," she said softly as she examined the items. She finally
removed a book. "This is one of Eiri-ojisan's books,
ne?"

Tokui nervously reached for his sachel and book, but Amai
jerked them both out of the way. "Ooooh, I've read this one
before!" She looked at him, an almost sadistic grin
spreading across her face. "Want me to show you where all
the dirty parts are?"

Tokui finally grabbed the items back, putting the book back
into the sachel. "N-no! That's not why I read them!" he
cried nervously.

Amai just sighed and looked at her watch. "You're no fun.
Look, I'm supposed to be rehearsing in ten minutes in rehearsal
room five on the second floor. That means if you want to get a
headstart and hide from Tousan and my manager, you'd better get
running now."

Amai just rolled her eyes and walked in the direction of the
elevator.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Seguchi Touma leaned back in his desk chair, dark green eyes
fixed on the folder he was holding in his right hand, and fingers
of his left hand drumming on the arm of his chair, his legs
crossed and his entire body, though relaxed, could give one the
feeling that, if neccessary, he would pounce on them like a lion
in tall grass and devour them at a moment's notice, even with his
delicate (and, as people who had seen his daughter would be quick
to note, feminine) features and babyface.

And as Touma definately didn't look pleased at the moment, he
seemed much more intimidating then he usually did. He finally sat
the folder onto the desk and leaned forward, resting on his
elbows and steepling his fingers in front of his mouth, tapping
his index fingers in thought. Finally, he stared directly at the
man in the neatly pressed black buisness suit before him, quickly
scanning his dark eyes for any signs of being unnerved. Sure
enough, the man was nervous.

Touma sighed and opened the folder again. "I'm not
impressed, Nakano-san," he said at last to the man most knew
as Hiro of Bad Luck fame. "Not impressed at all. I suppose
this is partially my fault, giving you an assignment that I had
so much personal stake in, but if you had done your job correctly
then my relationship with your assignment wouldn't be an
issue."

Hiro just nodded. He'd known this day was a long time in
coming, but he'd never expected he'd be so nervous when it
finally came.

"Nakano-san," Touma said at last after reviewing the
contents of the folder again. "I expect a certain level of
quality in the performance of my employees. You're an intelligent
man, you're talented, and you know the music industry like the
back of your hand. I had very high expectations when I hired you
back to NG after your contract expired as a manager, hence I
trusted you with handling my daughter's career."

"I understand that, Seguchi-san. And I am doing the best
job I can with the resources I have available to me," Hiro
explained.

Touma stood up and began to walk to the front of his desk.
"I dislike managers who don't actually manage anything,
Nakano-san. Why do you think I fired Sakano-san as yours and
hired Mr. K? When Grasper was formed- and pardon me for waxing
nostalgic- our manager was spineless. He was only kept as a
matter of formality. I did all the work. And I don't want Amai to
have to go through that. You know how difficult it is to be a
musician. She shouldn't have to worry about picking up the slack
her manager left."

Touma walked around behind Hiro, staring at his long red
ponytail. "I am not expecting you to be as aggressive as Mr.
K was, though I will add that it was his aggressive nature that
made him such a great manager. He got the job done no matter what
he had to do, and I was actually sad to see him go. I am not
expecting you to be up to par with him at all. However, you know
how cutthroat the music buisness is. You have to be at the least
moderately aggressive, even go beyond legal and moral boundries
once in a while to accomplish that final goal: fame. Glory. A
number one album. Unfortunately, while you have yourself
together, you are too hell-bent on staying within the rules. And
that just doesn't cut it in your line of work."

Touma walked back around to face the other man. "That's
why, as of today, you are reassigned."

"Excuse me?" Hiro asked, taken off guard. He'd
expected to be fired, not given another charge.

"Reassigned," Touma repeated, stepping behind his
desk and flipping the pages in the folder until he found another
paper. "You have potential, but I am aware that giving you
my own daughter is out of your league. She has too many traits
that I have, for one thing, and for another thing I am naturally
going to want more for her than with the other acts that are
currently signed with NG, so even if you aren't doing as bad a
job as I am making it sound I can't see that. So, to accurately
gauge your abilities, I am going to give you a new assignment,
one I have no personal involvment with."

"Should I notify Shuichi?" Hiro asked, still stunned
and relieved that he got to keep his job.

"No. Unlike most meetings, he's absent from this one
because I didn't ask for him to be here. He isn't being
reassigned," Touma explained. "Though he has trouble
showing up to meetings on time, if he bothers to show up at all,
by some fluke or sheer dumb luck he has managed to perform all of
his duties and do a superb job in the process. While I still
think Sakano-san was a better producer, sadly he is also no
longer working for the company,, so I have to make do with what I
have."

"Seguchi-san, I am not asking you to give me an
undeserved promotion or Shuichi an undeserved demotion, but with
all do respect Shuichi can't function without me. That dumb luck
you are talking about is me performing his duties and, as a
result, neglecting my own," Hiro explained.

"Nakano-san, I am not reassigning Shindou-san. If what
you say is true, then I'll see you in your true light and promote
you justly and, if neccessary, demote Shindou-san or terminate
his employment all together. I'd rather have one employee who
does a good job than two who do a mediocre job," Touma said
firmly as he sat back down. "Now, as for your new
assignment, this will definately be a challenge of your
abilities, and I hope to see you rise to the challenge." He
shuffled through the papers in his folder again, before taking a
pen from the pocket of his suit and making a mark on the paper
before him. "He is actually Chinese, for one. His name is
Chen Quon Yue. He has great talent as a vocalist, however, and
wishes to pursue a solo career here in Japan, so you have two
challenges: make him famous despite him being foreign, and make
him famous as a solo artist. He also seems to have a habit of
crossdressing that you will most likely have to break him of.
Either that, or turn it into a gimmick, as even if you can keep
him from doing it on stage, if the press catches it offstage his
career is over before it began. This assignment will decide if
you are worthy of your position. If you can make Chen Quon Yue
even a moderate success, I'll think about reassigning you to
Amai. Until then, you'll meet your new producer when you meet
your assignment. And tell Shindou-san he'll be working with a new
manager. Now, I do believe you have one final rehearsal with Amai
to attend to."

Hiro sighed and bowed slightly. "Yes, Seguchi-san."
He turned to leave the office, but before he could touch the door
Touma's voice stopped him.

"And Nakano-san, if you happen to find my son anywhere in
the building, send him to my office," Touma instructed.

"Of course," Hiro said.

As soon as Hiro was out of the room, Touma pressed a button,
activating the intercom between him and his receptionist.
"Sako, please send Sakano-san up."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So, this is really it?" Amai asked, leaning against
the table. "I can't believe Tousan would assign me a new
manager without asking me. I really like working with you
guys..."

Hiro shrugged. "It wasn't my call. If you can talk to
your father and try to get me my old job back, it'd be great, but
I think I am stuck managing the Chinese guy for a while."

Amai shrugged. "Well, I'm daddy's little girl. I'll see
what I can do. By the way, did he happen to ask about my
brother?"

"Doesn't he always?"

"True. Even when he finds him he doesn't do anything,
though..."

Amai walked to the door of the rehearsal room. "Well,
until I see you again, since I assume I'll still see you
around..."

"Yes, of course," Hiro muttered, opening his
briefcase. Amai slipped out of the room and shut the door behind
her, leaving him alone completely.

Hiro looked around the room, hoping to find another sheet of
paper. Finding none, he walked over to the closet to get some
from the pile usually kept in there for such emergencies. But as
soon as he opened the door, he jumped. Crouched inside, holding a
flashlight and a book, was the black-clad figure of Seguchi
Tokui.

As soon as Hiro's breathing returned to normal, he realized
the boy was staring at him. "Tokui, you scared me!"

"Gomen nasai, Nakano-san," he said softly. Hiro
could see the boy was blushing. "You're not going to tell
Tousan, are you?"

Hiro sighed and shook his head. "No. I'm not. Even though
I'm already on his bad side without withholding information on
the whereabouts of his son. But dammit, you scared the hell out
of me!"

"Gomen nasai," he said again, putting his book in
his sachel. "I'll move."

"No, you don't have to. I was leaving, anyway," Hiro
explained. "Unless you have a rule about changing hiding
places once the one you are currently in is discovered."

Tokui slowly pulled himself to his feet and shook his head.
This wasn't the first time the pair had run into each other in
this fashion. Despite the fact that most NG employees actively
searched for Tokui to claim the reward for returning him to his
father, Hiro had the highest success rate in finding him. It was
so high, in fact, Hiro was sure that his running into the small
blonde teenager so often wasn't mere coincidence.

Hiro ruffled the boy's hair before he turned and picked up his
briefcase. He still had to tell Shuichi the bad news, after
all....

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tokui stood in the closet for a long moment after Hiro left,
expecting him to return. Hoping he'd return. But, resigning to
the fact that he wasn't going to return, Tokui looked out into
the hallway, before darting over to the staircase, sachel in
hand. He managed to sneak out the way he'd come in and get on his
bike. It was getting dark, and he wanted to make it back to Yuki
and Shuichi's apartment before it became too dark.

Tokui was getting short of breath, and he knew he was still
blushing. He prayed that Hiro hadn't seen him blush. Nakano
Hiroshi was the only person on earth that Seguchi Tokui allowed
to find him. And Nakano Hiroshi was the only person on earth who
could engage Seguchi Tokui in real conversation for any great
length of time.

And the reason was because Seguchi Tokui was hoplessly in love
with Nakano Hiroshi.